Retellings & Re-Imaginings: Retold Fairytales, Myths, Legends & Stories Retold & Reimagined

Fairytales, Myths, Legends, & various forms of literature, have been around for centuries and millennia. Throughout history, these stories have been passed down whether orally or written and even today, several amazing authors put their own spin on the classic stories we love. Some retellings are better than others. Regardless, even the worst retelling of a classic fairytale, myth or legend can never ruin our love of the classic or yearning of a new spin on one. These stories exist to take us to a world not our own and there’s always a moral to learn.

The Night Dance by Suzanne Weyn

In the 2000s there was a book series titled the Once Upon A Time series and several different authors would create their own spin on a favorite fairytale. Some books were better than others and that’s what happens when there are different authors. One of my favorite books from this series was The Night Dance & it was a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses by the Brothers Grimm. In Suzanne’s version of the fairytale, Rowena, the youngest sister, sneaks out of her home and she was able to meet a former Knight of Camelot named Sir Bedivere. There is insta love right there. Rowena’s father is overprotective after losing the love of his life and Rowena’s mother, The Lady of the Lake. At night Rowena and her sisters sneak to a magical world to dance. Rowena’s father wants to find out where they sneak off to at night and he has a contest to where the first man who finds out where they go, gets to marry them. Bedivere doesn’t want to lose Rowena, so he enters. Morgana La Fey is out there wanting Excalibur back and up to no good. I love the mash up of a famous fairytale and the Camelot story.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale is a retelling of the fairytale of the same name by The Brothers Grimm. In this version of The Goose Girl, Crown Princess Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee of Kildenree was born with her eyes closed and a word on her tongue that she could not taste.  Ani spent the first years of her life listening to her aunt tell tales of people who have distinct gifts. Some have the gift of human speak some have the gift of animal speaking & others have the gift of nature speaking. Ani learns she has the gift of animal speak, especially the swans and when she became older and watched a colt being born, she learned the first name on the colt’s tongue was Falada. When it comes time for Ani to be married to the Prince of Bayern, while she is being escorted, her treacherous maidservant Selia, the brutish guard Ungolad and half of Ani’s company betray her, and Ani is on the run. She becomes the Goose Girl and makes close friends & fall in love. Can Ani and her friends stop Selia, Ungolad and the others who betrayed her before its too late? I love how Shannon Hale kept the essence of the fairytale while also adding things to make it her own.

The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abddullah

The Stardust Thief is inspired by fairytales from 1001 Nights and it’s in an Arabic inspired world. I first saw the book floating around on Instagram from other book bloggers back in June of 2022 the cover and story caught my eye and I immediately ordered it. Loulie-Al Nazari is the midnight merchant that finds and sells illegal magic with the help of her Jinn bodyguard Qadiri. One day Loulie saves the life of a man who she didn’t know at the time was the second son of the sultan. When Loulie catches the eye of the sultan, he blackmails her into searching for an ancient lamp. Loulie has no choice but to either go on this quest or be executed. Loulie and her bodyguard with the help of the sultan’s eldest son and Aisha the lone female in The Forty Thieves go on the search for the lamp. The four characters fight off ghoul attacks, outwit a vengeful jinn queen, and confront a malicious killer from Loulie’s past. This is the first book in a trilogy, and I know I need to read the second and third book. I love how this isn’t a retelling of just one story, but its several middle eastern stories that are turned into one story or given a nod like with the lamp and jinn as well as the story of Shahrazad from 10001 Nights.